ADSIC hosted 5th Abu Dhabi e-Government Forum

Entitled ‘Digital Technology Towards a Better Future’, the event showcased a series of innovative and creative developments that are set to further transform the level of e-government services in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi 

Abu Dhabi, 19 June 2014: Hosted by Abu Dhabi Systems and Information Center (ADSIC), the government agency responsible for the agenda of information and communication technology in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the Forum started with a welcome speech delivered by Abdulkarim Al Raeesi, Director of Strategy and Planning at ADSIC, on behalf of His Excellency Rashed Lahej Al Mansoori, Director General at ADSIC. 

Al Raeesi highlighted ADSIC’s continuous efforts towards the success of e-Government strategy aimed to employ information technology. He stressed the fundamental importance of information and communications, as well as the cooperation between governmental and non-governmental entities, to achieve the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision of a knowledge-based economy. 

The 400 government employees present at the Forum had the opportunity to see a detailed presentation delivered by Mansour Al Marzouqi, Strategy Manager at ADSIC, on the overall e-government strategy for Abu Dhabi. He was followed by Dr. Ahmad Al-Hashemi, Senior Manager of Government Services at ADSIC, who summed up a set of major initiatives of the Center, such as:  CityGuard, a mobile application that allows residents and visitors to report incidents and submit complaints related to the  Abu Dhabi Emirate directly to the government, E-Citizen Program, a free training program that enables people with limited knowledge of technology to learn how to use computers and internet, and e-Fair, a virtual career fair that offers UAE residents employment opportunities in the public and private sectors. 

Participants also had a chance to hear from international speaker, Dr. Rainer Babel, CEO of Babylon GmbH. Having worked as a consultant to the Governments of Austria, Germany, Luxembourg and Slovenia, he briefed the audience on the concept of smart government, including the importance of information behavior. The presentation was followed by a panel discussion on mobile government with the participation of Dr. Rainer and Mr. Abdulkarim.

The 5th Forum ended on a high-note, with HE Rashed Lahej Al Mansouri honoring government departments who have showcased outstanding innovative practices this year.

“ADSIC is determined to promote change and transformation that will build a sustainable future. We will raise the level of technical competencies and improve customer service, as well as provide platforms that will integrate public and private sectors in order to join efforts as development partners. Ultimately, ADSIC will continue to attract experts and young talents who will help identify the best practices to innovation and knowledge localization”, concluded HE Rashed Lahej Al Mansouri.